Are We Enemies?
by Wannabanauthor
Summary: Rating changed to M. Sequel to Saviour or Enemy. About six years later, Blade shows up in Detroit. Shen finds out that a new recruit shows up on the Chthon radar. But they don't know that it's just Tanya, trying to keep her existence a secret.
1. Hot New Recruit

A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with another sequel! This takes place during the Blade Series. So enjoy!

Special thanks to my beta: **Bassdogg2006**

* * *

"Are we enemies?" Tanya asked softly, gazing out into the night from her window. 

"Who are you talking about, Darling?" Chase asked as she searched through the closet.

"Nothing."

"Oh. You and Blade. That is an interesting question. Well, he doesn't know that you're still alive, but you pose no threat against him. So probably not. Why? You want to drop by and visit?" Chase asked.

"No! I don't want to nearly die again. I'm keeping my distance. Let's just hope we don't run into him," Tanya answered.

"Ha! I found it!" Chase said holding up a short, black leather dress.

"I'm not wearing that," Tanya said flatly.

"No, I am. You're wearing that," Chase said pointing to the bed. There lie a blue shimmy halter, black pants, a leather jacket, and stiletto boots.

"Now that's what I'm talking about."

* * *

The club was quite busy. There were dozens of people on the dance floor, and many couples having fun in the dark corners. Her and Chase were lucky just to get a seat at the bar, of course after Chase showed her glyph.

A few minutes later, they were both sipping apple martinis.

A handsome stranger dropped into the seat next to Tanya. He signaled for the bartender.

"How may I help you?" the bartender asked.

The guy flashed a dazzling smile. "Order this lady another round of whatever she's having, and a Miller Light for me."

Tanya smiled at him. "Thanks. You're really cute."

"And you're gorgeous," he said.

"You seem like a party type."

"You have something in mind?" he asked.

"Yeah, me and my friend here," she said indicating Chase, "are going to a party at a hotel. But I was thinking that you and I should take advantage of the hotel room service. You game?"

"Sure."

"But there's a catch."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, my friend gets to join in on the action."

The guy's eyes went wide. He jumped up and roped an arm around her. "Let's go. We don't want to waste anytime."

All three exited the club and walked out into the dark streets. Tanya dragged the guy into an alley.

"I thought the hotel was that way," he said.

"It is, but we're taking a shortcut," Chase replied. So the guy was dragged into the dark of the alley.

"Hey, why did we stop?" he asked.

"My friend is a little hungry, and she would like a snack." As soon as the words left her mouth, Chase's fangs grew.

The guy screamed and tried to run, but Tanya grabbed him and slammed him against the wall. He was instantly knocked out. Chase walked up to him, yanked his head to side, and began to feed.

Tanya stepped back and looked around to make sure that nobody was watching. Then she heard distant footsteps.

"Chase, hurry up! Someone's coming!" Tanya warned.

Chase released the guy from her bite, and he dropped to the floor. "We're vampires. Since when do we run?"

Tanya didn't answer but glanced at the victim.

"Don't worry. He's just unconscious. Who's our visitor?"

Tanya closed her eyes and honed in on her senses. "I think it's a hunter. He smells of ash and gunpowder. He's young, I can tell from the weight of his footsteps."

"Ooh, a challenge!" Chase exclaimed. Then all of a sudden bullets were streaming towards them. Both women ducked and hid behind a dumpster bin.

Tanya pulled out her gun and waited for the shooting to stop. She risked a peek around the bin, and pulled back as soon as more bullets were shot.

_Enough of this shit_! Tanya came out from behind the dumpster and started shooting at their attacker. The man ducked and rounded the corner for protection.

Chase was looking at the rooftops for a way out. Finally forming an idea, she jumped on top of the bin. "Tanya, run towards me and I'll give you a boost to the roof."

Tanya climbed up and ran to Chase who threw her to the roof. Once she was up there, she reached down and pulled Chase up. She got her up just in time to miss the bullets being fired at them.

They ran across the rooftops until they came across the House of Chthon building.

As they walked through the front door, Chase said, "That was a close one. I've seen that little bugger around before. His name is Shen and he works for Blade."

Tanya stopped in her tracks. "Blade's in Detroit?"

"Yes, which is why you cannot tell Marcus about our little run-in with his lackey? He'll never let you out of the building."

"Yeah., next time we'll be more careful."

"Damn straight," Chase replied.

* * *

"Dude, there's this hot new chick on the vampire scene," Shen said as he entered the hideout. 

"Vampire or familiar?" Blade asked.

"Not sure, she was standing by while our favorite blonde vampire feasted on some poor guy."

"Probably vampire. Look her up in the database," Blade ordered.

"She might not be there," Shen suggested.

"Just do it," Blade growled and stomped off.

"Your welcome," Shen called out.

Shen set to work on recreating an image of the new recruit, but he was unsuccessful. The alley had been dark and he could barely make out her features. She had bright blue eyes, and black hair. He knew that much. And she was good-looking.

Shen flipped through the database looking for pictures that looked like his mystery lady.

"Find her yet?" Blade called.

"No, I'll tell you when I'm done."

"Hurry up!"

Shen grumbled in annoyance as he continued looking through pictures.

Several hours later, Shen still had no luck in finding the woman.

Blade approached him looking at the computer screen.

"Any luck?" Blade asked.

"Nope., no new recruits have appeared on the radar since Krista was turned."

"Were you wearing your sunglasses?" Blade asked.

"Yeah, why?" Then Shen realized that he had videotaped the confrontation.

He quickly took the memory chip out of the glasses and inserted it into the computer. He slowly played the video. He froze the screen when the woman came into the picture. He used the computer to take a picture of the frame and he uploaded the picture into Photoshop.

As Shen was doing an extreme makeover on the picture, Krista wandered into the hideout.

"Watcha guys up to?" she asked.

"Shen had a run-in with a new Chthon recruit, and we're trying to find out who she is," Blade explained. Shen zoomed in on the picture.

"Does she look familiar?" Blade asked Krista.

Krista recognized her instantly, but her face remained stony.

_Flashback_

"_I would appreciate if you get my daughter's identity a secret. Several years ago she met a hunter who tried to kill her, and let's just say that he thinks that she's dead," Marcus said gesturing to Tanya._

"_Who was the hunter?" Krista asked._

"_Blade. It was my assignment to infiltrate him and his partner in crime. But he found out and here I am, living under the radar," Tanya said._

"_Not many people know that she is my daughter, and everybody who does is instructed to not let her identity get out. If Blade knew she was alive, he would not rest until she was dead. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes."_

_End Flashback_

"No, she doesn't look familiar. I'll subtlety ask around about her. Find out who she is and where exactly on the food chain is she."

"She was hanging with Chase, so she must be pretty fucking important," Shen said.

Blade turned to Krista. "Anything to report?"

"Well, when I walked into Marcus's office, there was a picture of him and a girl who looks like she was in her twenties. She looked a lot like him. I asked Marcus about her. Did you know that he had a daughter?"

Shen looked up surprise. "He reproduced? Vampires are sterile."

"Yes, I knew that he had a daughter. After all, I am the one who killed her." Memories from that terrible day started to come back to him. He blocked off all his emotions. He couldn't afford past memories, not now.

"You capped the head honcho's daughter? No wonder he's pissed."

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A/N: Please review! Love ya tons! 


	2. Recruit Strikes Back

A/N: Not much to say except that here's the second chapter.

Special thanks to my beta: **Bassdogg2006**

* * *

"Oh god, I'm so bored," Tanya said as she looked out of the window. It was a beautiful night. The moon was shining in all her glory.

"Then why don't you go out?" Marcus asked, entering the room.

"Oh, hey," she said before returning her gaze back to the window.

"I heard about your night out with Chase," he said. Tanya sighed. She knew what was coming.

"You have to be more-"

"Careful. Yeah, I know. You tell me this everyday. I'm sick of being cooped up like a pet. Inmates get more freedom than I do. That night was the highlight of my drab life. I haven't had any excitement in years!"

"Well, you shouldn't. Excitement attracts attention. That stunt the other night just proves that you shouldn't be allowed out. You're on lockdown as of now," Marcus retorted.

"What?! You can't make me stay! I'm a grown woman! I can go wherever the hell I want!"

"I can and I will make you stay." He turned on his heel and left the room slamming the door behind him. A few seconds later, she heard him locking the door.

"Fuck!" She slammed her fist into the wall. _That's it! I'm outta here!_

She went through her purse and stuck her ID, money, and her keys in her jean pockets. Then she strapped on a thigh holster and placed her gun in it. Then she hid a few knives in the sleeves of her shirt and to her back. Then she grabbed a leather trench coat to conceal her weapons.

Marcus forgot one thing, to lock her window. She peered outside. There were several guards directly under window. Damn. Her eyes scanned for a nearby building. They settled on the Sony building. Bingo.

She carefully stepped out onto the windowsill. She mustered up all of her strength and jumped to her destination. She slightly miscalculated the distance and didn't quite make it to the building. She grabbed onto the edge of the roof to keep herself from falling down.

She pulled herself up and swung herself onto the roof. She spotted the fire escape on the other side of the roof. She took it down to the street, and walked down scarce streets to make sure that she wasn't being followed.

So Blade was in Detroit. That was interesting. She wondered what his reaction would be if he saw her, probably surprise, then rage. He did think she was dead after all, and they didn't exactly leave on the best of terms. She had shot his mentor, and Blade had tried to kill her. She felt no regret for almost killing the man who had murdered her family, and had given her a scar on her hip. He had shot at a little girl, and that scar was a reminder of everything that he had put her and her family through. Too bad the bastard had ended his own life.

She ran through the streets; the cold stinging her cheeks. But she didn't care. She needed a break; a break from Marcus, a break from vampires, a break from everything. It was because of Whistler that her life went to hell.

Her lungs started to sting and she stopped to catch her breath. She looked around and noticed that she was in unfamiliar territory. Oh crap. This would be a problem. She was on someone else's turf.

A man stepped out from the shadows. He was black with tattoos running down his forearms. He looked a like a typical street thug.

"This place is no place for a beautiful lady like you. Dangerous men lurk about," he said in a deep voice.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks," she said and started to walk away. The man was instantly at her side, gripping her arm tightly.

"I didn't say that you could leave," he replied. Tanya rolled her eyes. If this guy thought that he had her trapped, then he had another thing coming.

"I'll give you only one warning. If you disregard that, then I can't guarantee your safety. Let go of me, and walk away," she said in a definite tone.

The man just smiled. "I can think of a better use of those lips other than talking." He opened his mouth to reveal pearly white fangs.

Instead of flinching, Tanya smiled.

The man holding her gasped in pain. He looked down to see Tanya holding a dagger sticking out of his stomach. She kicked his chest and he flew off the blade.

Tanya quickly drew out her gun and shot him in the head. He disintegrated right before her.

Three more men stepped out of the shadows with weapons drawn.

"Oh, so you guys want some action as well? Bring it on, boys!" she said. Finally, she got to kick some ass.

The first one ran to her swinging wildly with a knife. She sidestepped and tripped him, sending him crashing to ground. She shot him in the heart.

The second snuck up behind her when she turned around and put her in a choke hold. Tanya relaxed her body, then grabbed him and flipped the guy over her shoulder, then stabbed him in the heart.

She sensed the third guy approaching. Without turning around she pulled out her gun and shot the guy.

She stood up and looked around to make sure there were no more thugs. There weren't. But there was another presence she recognized.

"Did you like the show?" she asked brushing herself. She turned to greet her spectator. "Or were you hoping that one of those men would finish the job that you started?"

The young Asian man said nothing.

"If you were, I am deeply insulted that you think I could be outdone by those simpleton vampires."

The man still did nothing but regard her with a glare. Tanya studied him.

"You're perplexed because you've seen those moves before. And you want to know how I know them."

The man's eyes narrowed and Tanya saw him reach for a gun. Moving with lightning speed, she had him up against the wall by his neck.

"Do not continue to follow me. If I see you lurking around where I hangout, I will not hesitate to kill you or worse. Tell Blade that you killed me, and leave it that. If he asks for information about me, tell him that I'm some floozy that Chase brought into the circle as a pet. He'll buy it, I'll be left alone, and you will remain alive. Understand?" she said in a deadly tone.

He still said nothing, so she applied pressure to his windpipe. He started nodding his head immediately. She let go and let him drop to the floor.

"If I hear that Blade is looking for the new Chthon member, I will come back and kill you." And with that, she disappeared into the night.

Shen rubbed his throat as he breathed in air. Shit, he was in trouble.

* * *

"What happened tonight?" Blade asked as he saw Shen's bruised neck.

"I ran into that new recruit. They must not have taught her much because she was too careless," Shen replied.

"She couldn't have been that careless, if she did that to you," Blade said indicating the bruise.

"That was done by her master, Chase. I managed to kill the recruit, but Chase took advantage of the diversion and ran away."

"So the new girl is gone?" Blade asked, picking up weird vibes off of Shen. His story didn't exactly sound right, but he must have had a reason.

Shen nodded. "I'm gonna go work on the weapons. They could use a tune up." He left to go to the weapons area.

Blade watched him and wondered what made him lie about tonight's hunt.

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A/N: Please review! 


	3. Don't Underestimate the Recruit

A/N: Another chapter! Yay!

Special thanks to my beta: **Bassdogg2006**

Please enjoy!

* * *

Tanya was at an art gallery with Krista and Marcus. She sipped her champagne as she walked from painting to painting. For the evening, she had chosen an elegant black halter dress that went all the way to the floor. She wore black strappy high-heels, and adorned herself with a pearl necklace, earrings, and a bracelet. Marcus always loved history that was preserved in artwork. She herself could see the significance of the paintings. Each painting represented what the painter was feeling at the time. She found it quite fascinating.

Marcus had not said another word to her about her confinement. When she strolled in covered in ash and with news that Blade would no longer be looking for the new Chthon member, he released her from her lockdown.

Tanya sensed that something wasn't right. She noticed that Krista seemed a little fidgety that particular night and had dismissed herself to the bathroom earlier. She set her champagne glass down and walked up behind her.

"It's quite extraordinary, isn't it?" she asked, causing Krista to slightly jump.

"Yeah, it is," Krista replied not taking her eyes off the painting.

"You seem a little unwell this evening. Are you alright, Krista?" Tanya asked with a devilish smile.

"I'm fine," came the curt reply. Tanya glided to Krista's left and placed her chin on the woman's shoulder.

"You know, you should not wear your heart on a sleeve. Marcus may be stupid to notice, but I'm not. You need to learn how to mask your feelings, that way when it's the time to do the right thing, emotions won't hold you back."

"Is that what you tell yourself when you feed on innocent victims?" Krista snapped.

"Oh, sweetheart, I don't feed on humans. I just simply drink the blood that is delivered to my room. Your scent has changed since I first met you," Tanya said inhaling Krista's essence.

"What are you talking about?"

"First it was light floral, almost innocent, but now it's smells of fruit, bold and daring. Almost as if you've changed."

"Everybody changes once they become a vampire."

"Yes, but yours is different somehow." Tanya pulled out a switchblade; she felt Krista's body flinch. "Don't worry, this is a gift. I want you to have it. An old mentor of mine once gave it to me. Or rather I won it from him." She held it out to her.

Krista received the blade and tucked it into her purse. Tanya picked up an appetizer and took a small bite. "Enjoy the rest of the party," she said walking away.

Krista studied the woman as she walked away. There was something about her that made her body go cold. It was almost as if the woman knew about her partnership with Blade. Krista shook her head. No, that couldn't be. Nobody knew except her, Blade, and Shen.

All of a sudden the lights went out. Marcus cursed. There was only one person who would do this. He signaled for his to men to take Tanya to safety. He walked over and grabbed Krista's arm, instinctively protecting her.

A man right next to them burst into flames. Marcus started dragging Krista to an exit, when a woman burst into flames, then settled into ash.

Tanya quickly pulled out a gun from her thigh holster, her eyes searching for the intruder in the darkness. Her bodyguards grabbed her roughly and escorted her out of an emergency exit.

Her body was greeted with cold air. She saw a flash of light and instantly ducked. Her bodyguards disintegrated into ash. She was grabbed from behind and a cloth covered her nose.

She held her breath, not wanting to breathe in the chemical. Her attacker seemed to realize this, and cold-cocked her with his gun.

Shen and his backup loaded the unconscious woman into the car. He handcuffed her to the steering wheel.

"Here ya go guys," he said dealing out wads of cash to the men. They grunted greedily and left counting their money as they went.

He climbed into the driver's side of the car and sped off. This woman didn't want to be found for a reason, and he was betting that she knew Blade. How else could she have known that he was working for him? Maybe Krista had compromised them. Maybe not. The only way to find out was to interrogate the woman.

* * *

Tanya woke up to a stinging pain in her head. She opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. She was in a small dingy room. Her wrists were chained to the ceiling. It was worn out silver color and the lights above her were harsh. She closed her eyes, and slowly opened them again, adjusting to the light.

"Finally, you're awake. Blade will be here in a few hours to interrogate you himself, but for the time being I'll ask the questions," Shen said from a chair in the center of the room.

"Fire away," Tanya said. If this little kid thought he could intimidate her, he was in for a bitter disappointment.

Shen was a little taken back. He expected fear or resistance, not boldness. "How do you know Blade?"

"You'll have to ask him that. He'll know who I am soon enough. I've already planted the first seed."

Shen grew cautious. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you'll find out eventually." She tilted her head to the side, studying him. "It's funny you know. You brought me here to scare me and intimidate, but it seems that you are the one who's intimidated. Isn't it funny how things work out?" she said with a giggle.

"You're crazy!"

"Not really, just broken. I guess I get my attitude from Chase, we are bffs."

"That mouth of yours is not going to do you any good."

"It's done plenty of good already," she said with a small smile.

"Huh?"

"It kept you distracted while I worked my hands out of the chains," she said bringing her hands down to her hips.

Shen instantly reached for his gun, but in a split second Tanya had run over to him and backhanded him. He flew across the room and slammed into the wall. Tanya cautiously walked over to him and checked his pulse. He was alive, but unconscious. She needed him alive to report to Blade. She smiled at the thought.

Tanya walked out of the room and into the workshop; she grabbed her gun and placed it back into her holster. She wandered around the place scoping it out. She stumbled upon Blade's room.

He had the same set up that she remembered. Meditation mats, Zen cushions, the works. She exited the room and went back to the main area. Amongst the junk, she found a picture of him. She pressed it slightly to her lips then set it back down.

"See you soon, old lover," she said quietly then left the hideout.

* * *

Blade came back to his hideout to find Shen passed out in the interrogation room.

He threw a bucket of ice water over him. Shen woke up sputtering. He looked around wildly then cursed.

"Damnit! She 's gone."

"Who's gone?" Blade asked.

"The new Chthon girl. I was able to kidnap, but she knocked me out and escaped."

"I thought you said that she escaped," Blade said angrily.

"She threatened to kill me if I didn't tell her you were dead. I had to do it. I saw her take down a group of vampires in seconds. She fought like you."

Blade went still at that comment. "Check the video surveillance," he ordered. Shen quickly complied.

The video pulled up. Shen fast forwarded to when the woman was wandering around, Blade grinded his teeth in annoyance. He was surprised when she picked up his picture and kissed it. Then the next words out of her mouth made him freeze.

"_See you soon, old lover."_

Blade paused the image and zoomed in. "It can't be her." He was frozen in place as horror and pain swept through him.

Tanya was alive.

* * *

A/N: Please review. 


	4. Don't Get the Recruit Angry

"You did what?!" Marcus roared.

"I was captured by Shen, beat his ass, and escaped. But not before telling the video surveillance that I would see Blade soon," Tanya said simply.

"How could you?! After how hard I worked to keep your existence a secret!"

"Yeah, sucks huh?"

Marcus was growing red with fury. "Do know what you have done? You have put your life in danger. After your history with him, you knew he would kill you the moment he set eyes on you."

"Yeah, that's why I got the hell out of there before he got there and could see me in person," she said smugly.

"If you weren't my own flesh and blood, I would kill you," he threatened with a face as red as a tomato.

"Yeah, too bad. But don't blame me, you're the one that screwed my mother," she said and left. She slammed the door behind her.

Marcus picked up his mug and threw it at the door, blood and ceramic parts flying everywhere. He pushed the button on his intercom. "Sabine, double Tanya's security and make sure that she does not leave this building."

"Yes, sir," she buzzed back.

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"So explain this to me again," Shen said from his computer desk.

"I met her about six years ago. She was attacked by a vampire and I saved her. I was young and stupid so I turned her into a hybrid. Whistler and I took her in and showed her our ways. It turns out that she was working for Marcus, so I killed her, or so I thought," Blade explained.

"So what was the whole 'old lover' comment about?" Shen asked trying to fight down a smile.

"Nothing. It's not important."

"It seemed pretty important for her to mention and be secretive about it. She is pretty hot. She'd probably be a vixen in bed. Her voice is sultry enough," he said putting out the bait.

"Shut up, Shen," Blade growled."

"And she's in good shape. I can imagine those long legs wrapping themselves around-"

"Fine! We had a brief affair," Blade admitted.

Shen burst out laughing. "_You_ as someone's _lover_? That is too funny!" Shen fell out of his chair and was rolling on the floor.

Blade trained his gun on Shen, and Shen abruptly stopped laughing. "Sorry man, but it's so unbelievable."

"She is why it's unbelievable," Blade said seriously. Shen's smile vanished.

"Oh, I didn't know."

"Track her down. I want to make sure that this time I finish the job," he ordered and went to his room.

Blade sat down on his mats in his room and began meditating. He was conflicted with a multitude of emotions and he needed to lock them away to concentrate on what to do next.

He tried to empty his mind of all thoughts, but the subject of Tanya kept appearing in his mind. She had tricked him, playing him and Whistler for fools.

She had betrayed him, and almost killed Whistler. She had lied to him when he thought he could trust her. He had had feelings for her, but she crushed them and made a fool out of him. She was the reason why others had to earn his trust. She had made him that way. He had loved her, and she had used that against him. Killing her had been the hardest thing he had done.

Even though she tricked him, the guilt had eaten at him for years, never going away. He felt conflicted. In the end, he was right. She had ended up just like Saffron, in a way. But he had killed her himself, or atleast he thought he had.

Flashback

_Tanya fell flat on her ass on the gym mat. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her sore heinie._

"_Will you stop doing that?" she asked._

"_You have to become a better fighter. On your feet," Blade demanded._

_Tanya slowly climbed to her feet only to be knocked down again. "Asshole," she muttered. She started to get back on her feet and dodged Blade's attack. She rolled away and ran out the door of the gym. Blade stared at the door in astonishment. She had run away._

"_You little bitch," he growled. He ran after her, but once he exited the room, there was no sign of her. "Damn."_

_Tanya dropped silently to the ground behind him. She wrapped her arm around his neck, a knife poised at his neck._

_Blade smiled despite himself. So she was learning._

"_Nice move," he commented. "But you left yourself open." He grabbed her arm and flipped her down to the ground and straddled her hips, holding her down. He had one hand wrapped around her neck._

"_Let me go," she said trying to wriggle out from underneath him._

"_That's not the smartest thing to do," he said trying not to groan. Tanya immediately ceased moving._

"_Let me go!" she screamed and Blade instantly covered her mouth with his hand. He felt something wet touch his hand. He immediately jumped off her._

"_You licked my hand?!" he said._

_She stood up and shrugged. "It worked. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to get something to eat." She walked off with a smug grin._

_Blade was going to remind her that eating food while taking the serum would make her sick, but decided against it. "It'll teach the little bitch a lesson."_

_That night she had been violently ill, and he had to barricade his door to keep her from killing him._

Blade smiled. That had been a good day for them. It had provided him with some entertainment. But those times were over, and now he needed to finish the job that he started.

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"Why must you continue to piss off Marcus?" Raoul asked stepping into Tanya's room.

Tanya was currently playing Go-Fish with Chase on her bed.

"Oh come on, she has the right to have a little fun in her dull life. No offense, hun," Chase said.

"None, taken," she said. "Do you have any Kings?"

"Nope, go fish."

"Chase is right, Raoul. I never have any fun anymore. Now I can."

"You know Marcus increased your security, right?" Raoul asked.

"Yep, which makes it more exciting to find a way out," Tanya replied. She put her cards down. "I give up. This is way too boring."

"Blade is going to kill you the moment he sees you. How is that fun?"

"Finding out if I can take him down after all these years," she replied gathering the cards.

"You are a strange girl," Chase said.

"Runs in the family," Tanya responded.

"Just don't get killed," Raoul said kissing Tanya's forehead.

"That's up to Blade," she said with a hint of sadness. She knew she would have to see him sooner or later. It was inevitable. She hoped that he would atleast let her live long enough to see her side of the story. Hope was the only thing she had left.

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A/N: Please review!


	5. Recruit's Guilt

A/N: Here's another chapter.

* * *

Tanya pulled up her black jeans. Then she pulled on her black leather boots with a metal stiletto heel. She stood in front of the mirror and examined herself. She looked dressed to kill. The top she had chosen was a tank top. She picked her leather jacket from the floor and put it on as well.

All her weapons were hidden, except for the twin .45s in her jacket. She also had a knife in her boot. She gave herself another once over to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. She pulled out a grapple from her underwear drawer. She didn't feel like making the several stories drop to the ground outside the window of her room.

She checked to make sure that the letters addressed to Marcus, Chase, and Raoul were there. She didn't know if she was coming back, so it was best to let them know that she loved them. Emotions started welling up inside her, but she quickly squashed them. She didn't need this now, not when she had a mission to complete.

With one last glance around her room, she stepped out into the window. She aimed for the building across from her and squeezed the trigger of the grapple. The hook went flying and embedded itself in the building.

She pushed off and went swinging into the night. As soon as she was a foot away she let go of the grapple and twisted in the air to land on the roof.

She ran across the rooftops of many buildings. She paused every once in awhile to look at the street signs to make sure she was headed in the right direction. She could never be too careful.

Once she reached a bar rooftop, she climbed down the fire escape ladder and dropped down into the alley. There a vampire had been feeding on a woman. She immediately shot the vampire and he burst into flames.

She walked out of the alley and entered the night club. It was in full swing. Hot sweaty bodies were pressed up against each other on the dance floor. The smell of sweat, blood, and sex in the nightclub made Tanya's stomach lurch. She approached the bartender and ordered a martini.

A man was watching her from the corner of the club. He whispered into his ear piece, "She's here."

Tanya waited patiently at the bar, sipping her drink. She didn't know when he was going to show up or if he was even going to show up at all.

The bartender started up a conversation with her. "I haven't seen you in here before."

"And I'm supposed to care?" she asked.

"Oh, a feisty one. I like a challenge."

"Well, I don't. Goodbye." She slammed a five dollar bill on the counter and left. She wasn't in the mood to talk to some womanizer.

She made her way through the dance floor, squeezing between sweaty, dancing bodies. Someone grabbed her arm.

"Hey!" she shouted and turned around to face the person. It was the bartender. She sucker punched him and kneed him in the groin.

He went down easily, but then somebody else grabbed her. She felt a sharp sting in her neck, and then all went dark.

Tanya woke up with a killer headache. She tried lifting her arm, but it was secured behind her back. She opened her eyes, then slammed them back shut when light invaded them. She slowly opened them again and blinked to get use to the light. She was in the same room she has been in before, when Shen had kidnapped her.

Except this time, she was chained down in a chair in the middle of the room. A dark figure stood in the doorway. She squinted to try to make him out. He was too big to be Shen.

"Hello, Tanya." That voice. She hadn't heard that voice in over six years.

"Blade" she replied coolly. He stepped into the room so she could see him. He hadn't changed much since she'd seen him. His face was still eerily calm as it had always been. He still wore those sunglasses that shielded his eyes from her.

"What am I doing here?" she asked. Blade stepped closer to her. She could read nothing from his face. Not with those sunglasses on.

"You know what you're doing here, or you wouldn't have been hanging out at the club," he said.

"I'm guessing Shen told you about me despite my threats. You really wanted to see if I was still alive. Answer this, why did you want to know?"

He didn't respond. She smiled knowingly.

"You wanted to know if you had failed to finish the job. Well, now you can do it. Here I am for you to open fire on. Take advantage of the situation just like you did six years ago you ignorant bast-"

"Enough!" he growled. "You want to talk about the past, fine. We'll talk about the past. Don't try to play victim. You spied on Whistler and I, and reported back to Marcus. Then you get upset when you get caught. You're the one to blame."

"Really? That's interesting. I was dragged into this whole mess by Marcus, who so happens to be my father. My mom had an affair when she was married and I was the result. Nobody knows how it happened but it did. But her husband adopted and raised me along with my half-brother. My whole family consisted of familiars. Whistler killed my mom and dad right in front of me when I was six. Then he was about to shoot my brother when I got in between them. He pulled the trigger anyway. It grazed me and hit my brother. The next day, I was at the hospital and a police officer told me that my brother gave me up to the foster system. Marcus tried to help me out but I rebelled. I was still hurt from the loss of my family. I was able to get my act straight and make something of my life, and then I met you, and my life went straight to hell."

"Touching story, but that gave you no right to come after us."

"Like you have no right to go after a whole species just of what happened to your mother?" Blade didn't respond. "Not every vampire and/or familiar is the same. I lost my family because of Whistler, so it is my duty to avenge my family. However, you already avenged your mother, so why are you still hunting vampires. Are you aware of the number of children and families that are affected by your decisions? The vampire nation had to create a specific organization for the family of victims from vampire-hunters. You think you're doing the world a great service? Think again, asshole!"

"Nice little speech," Blade mocked. Tanya groaned in frustration. "I hunt vampires because they destroy lives. There will always be innocents that will be affected. That's how the world works. People will always get hurt."

"So, then why do you hate me? You were an innocent bystander, so why should I give a shit that you were hurt that I was working for Marcus?" Tanya asked. Blade stiffened. It was then that Tanya knew that she had gotten the better of him.

"That was different."

"Oh, I get it. So it's more important when you're hurt than others? You're an arrogant bastard. I can't believe I ever had feelings for you. You're a shame to your own gender. Maybe I should start batting for the same team. Chase has been trying to convince me to do it."

"You're a selfish bitch," he snapped.

"Guilty," she replied. "But atleast I have the guts to admit my faults. You're a coward."

"Shut up," he warned.

"You've never known real pain. You hide behind a mask like a goddamn coward!"

"I said shut up!" He ripped off his sunglasses and glared at her. Her eyes met his. She saw the pain in his eyes. That and betrayal. She softened.

"Look, I'm sorry that I hurt you. You were never supposed to be hurt; it was supposed to be Whistler. I was forced into this. You saw what that bastard did to me in my garage. During those six months after the attack, I did not contact Marcus or any other Chthon member at all. I told him I didn't want to do it, but they said I had a duty to them. So I did it, and I felt terrible about it. I tried to leave, but then Marcus broke the news that he was my father. It was then that I knew that I would never be free. Then I am reunited with my brother only to have him killed in front of me. I almost died that night. Most of the time, I wish I had. I had no family left and you know longer wanted anything to do with me. I had to spend the majority of my time cooped up in the Chthon hotel. I loved you and you turned me away without even giving me a chance to explain. I had nothing left to live for." Her voice started to break. She had to blink away tears. "Didn't you feel anything for me?"

"No," was his response. "You were a free fuck and nothing else." Tanya choked back a sob.

"Then you won't have a problem killing me then. Isn't that why you captured me? To kill me? Do it. I mean nothing to you so you should have no guilt, right? Do it! Do it before I find a way!" she screamed. "Kill me, you fucking coward!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Blade whipped out his gun and pulled the trigger.

Silence hung in the air. After a few minutes, Tanya lifted her arms free of the restraints. The chains clattered to the floor. The bullet had severed the chains from the floor.

She stood up slowly and looked Blade in the eyes. "Why? Why didn't you kill me? I told you to do it. You have every reason to. I betrayed your trust; I used you! Kill me!"

She walked up to him until the barrel of the gun rested against her chest. She put her hand over his. "Do it," she said.

Blade finally spoke. "No."

"Why not? End my pain! End my suffering!"

"No." This time it was more forceful.

"Please! Finish it!" She moved her index finger to the trigger of the gun. Blade immediately put the safety on.

He removed her hand from the gun and threw the gun to the ground.

"Why didn't you do it?" Tanya asked. Blade gazed into her eyes.

"I couldn't. Not again," he said. Tanya blinked in surprise. Blade saw the realization dawning on her. She took a step back, but he quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist to prevent her from moving farther.

"You're in love with me," she said. It was not a question. "This wasn't supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to still care. You were supposed to hate me. You were supposed to kill me."

"Is that why you went to the club tonight? You heard I was back in town and thought I would hate you enough to finish the job?" he spat harshly.

She nodded in confirmation. "I wanted you to finish it."

"Well, I can't. You're right, I am a coward. I couldn't do it. I wanted to, but I couldn't."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I love you."

Tanya closed her eyes as more tears threatened to come out. "This wasn't supposed to happen," she said softly.

She didn't notice Blade close the distance between them. Nor did she expect him to lightly brush his lips against hers.

She gasped in surprise and opened her eyes. "Blade?"

He leaned in and took her lips in a passionate kiss. It was hot and demanding. His tongue sought entrance to her mouth, and she quickly obliged. Their tongues dueled as the kiss became deeper. Blade grabbed her thighs and hoisted her up so that their groins were aligned. Tanya wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned at the friction.

Blade pressed Tanya against the wall and broke the kiss. He started planting kisses on her neck and sucked on one spot slightly. Tanya groaned in frustration. She grabbed his head and kissed him fiercely.

Blade ground his hips into hers, delighted with her mewls of pleasure. He held her against him as he carried her to his bedroom.

He collapsed beside her and held her close.

"I love you," Tanya said.

"I love you too."

Tanya woke up when she felt someone taking a hold of her wrists. She woke up alarmed.

"It's just me," Blade said. "Where did these scars come from?" He pointed to the faint scars on her wrists.

"I tried to slit my wrists with silver several times, but I was always saved before I could die."

"Promise me you won't do it again."

"Why?"

"Just promise me."

"Okay. I promise I won't do it again." She looked over her shoulder searching for a clock. It was six o'clock in the morning.

"I have to go," she said sitting up.

"Why? Stay."

"Marcus will worry. I came here tonight with a suicide mission."

"Don't tell me you told him."

"I left a note. Several actually, I have to leave or he'll come looking." She started putting her clothes back on. "I promise I'll be back tomorrow night, but I can't let him find you."

Blade kissed her. "He won't. Go, but come back as soon as you can."

"I will." She gathered the rest of her things then left.

* * *

A/N: Please review!


	6. Recruit Has Fun

Tanya strolled into her room at the Chthon hotel.

"Hello, lovelies! Did you miss me?" she asked in singsong voice.

"Where the hell have you been? Do you think this was funny?!" Marcus said as slammed down the letters she had written.

"I went looking for Blade, couldn't find him so I came back. Those letters were just in case I did find him," she said picking up the letters and tossing then into the trash.

"Then what took so long for you to come back? We were worried sick," Chase said.

"I got laid," Tanya said with a smirk. "And boy, did he know how to deliver. Multiple orgasms."

"What the hell were you thinking? He could have found you and killed you!" Raoul exclaimed.

"What's wrong, pretty boy? Sad that you can't hit this anymore?" she asked mockingly.

"What has gotten into you?! Your behavior is unacceptable!" Marcus screamed.

Tanya just rolled her eyes. "Like I give a shit what you think. Because of you, my family is dead. If you hadn't recruited them, Whistler wouldn't have killed them. I hate your guts. Oh, and another thing. I'm taking my life back. And if I see anyone of your goons following me, the Purebloods are going to find out what you're up to. So if you would excuse me, I have somewhere I have to be," she said and strolled right back out.

--

"So let me get this straight. You let her live?" Shen asked.

"It's complicated," Blade replied.

"But you let her live. You let Marcus's evil spawn live, the same girl who tried to kill your old pal. You let her live?!"

"Like I said, it's complicated."

"Wait a sec, does Krista know?"

"I think she does, but probably not much."

"But she purposely withheld information from us, which led to me getting my ass kicked by your ex-girlfriend."

"We can't let her know that we're onto her. Play it cool. She should be here soon."

And right on cue, Krista came bouncing down the stairs.

"You called?" she said.

"Yeah, we captured a vampire last night. She was from Chthon, and I was wondering if you recognized her," Blade said. He searched the computer for the video file and uploaded it.

He paused the frame when Tanya came into the picture. "Recognize her?"

Krista played it cool. "No."

"Hey, I can't this package open," Shen said struggling with a new pack of scissors.

"Oh, here. Let me help," Krista said and pulled a Tanya's blade from her purse and opened the package. Blade recognized it instantly.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

Krista looked down at the knife, "Marcus, why?"

"Where did Marcus get it from?"

Krista swallowed. "I don't know."

"Sure," he said closing the file on the computer.

And just her luck, Tanya came down the stairs.

"Hey, I just got Marcus off my ba-" she began, then caught sight of Krista and Shen. In the blink of an eye, she had a gun trained on both.

Shen grabbed two guns and pointed one at Krista and one at Tanya.

"What's going on?" Shen asked.

Tanya looked at Blade. "You didn't tell him?"

"I was in the middle of it, but then Krista showed up," he replied. "Now, we need to explain things to these two. Lower your guns, both of you."

Tanya holstered her guns, and Shen set his on the table.

"Now, I can explain things. Tanya, Krista works for me and has been since before she was a vampire. Shen, this is Tanya and she's not a threat. Krista, you have some explaining to do."

"She sure does," Tanya said.

"Tanya, I protected you by lying to Blade. Blade, I'm doing your dirty work so you don't get to question my motives."

Tanya cocked an eyebrow. "Feisty. That's why you picked her. Now that everything's fine, I need to talk to Blade in private." She walked past everybody and headed into Blade's room.

Blade followed her in. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Marcus will not be a problem for awhile, but I'd still watch my back if I were you."

"Don't you mean that you should watch your back?"

"As long as I'm alive, he'll think that you are gunning for me."

"But I'm not."

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that. And there's no way that he can find that out or he'll kill us both!"

"Relax, Tanya. As long as we're careful, we'll be fine," he said kissing her forehead. She kissed his neck and started working her way up to his lips, but he pushed her away.

"Not now. Krista and Shen are outside."

"That'll just add to the excitement," she said running her hands down his shirt.

He grabbed her wrists. "No, Tanya."

"You ruin all the fun," she pouted.

"I promise that we'll have fun later, but right now we need to talk business."

"What business?"

"I need your help with Marcus."

"No. I am not getting involved in your war."

"You have no choice."

"Yes, I do, and I'm choosing to remain neutral. You and Krista can do your whole espionage thing, but I'm not spying on Marcus for you, and don't you dare ask me to."

"Tanya, I need to know what he's planning. Krista is close to finding out but she can only get so far as a newbie."

"My lips are sealed. I'm not choosing sides, and I can't believe you're making me!"

"I'm not making you. I just need to know."

"And I can't tell you that, nor would I if I could. I'm not betraying him. And don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Marcus will not know about Krista being a double agent."

"I'm not concerned about that. I'm concerned about Marcus's plan. I need to know if they're going to affect the humans."

"They won't be affected, so stop asking me to help you!"

"Settle down. I won't ask you again," he said kissing her cheek. "I'm sorry."

She stuck her bottom lip out. "I'm still mad." He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and bit gently then smoothed it over with his tongue.

Tanya wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Blade's hand went to work as he started sliding up her shirt. She stepped back so he could pull it over her head. He started kissing her shoulder.

"What about Krista and Shen?" she moaned.

"Screw them."

"No, screw me," she said sliding her hand down his pants.


	7. No Future

A/N: Here's another chapter. I finally decided to write it.

* * *

"So you're really leaving, huh?" Raoul asked, stepping into the room.

Tanya paused in her packing and looked up at him. "Yeah. I need to be on my own. I'm tired of being treated like a prisoner. I need my own personal space. You understand, right?"

Raoul smiled sadly. "Yeah, I understand. I know that you feel overwhelmed and suffocated by Marcus, but he only supervises you so much because he loves you. You're his daughter and he wants to make sure that you're okay."

Tanya plopped onto her bed with a sigh. "I know, but I can't take it anymore. I need a break. I don't care if he's afraid that Blade is after me. If I die, then I die. It's the circle of life. I will die without any major regrets. I'm no longer afraid."

Raoul sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. "I know. But the rest of us are afraid. We don't want you to die. We care about you. We love you." He kissed the top of her forehead.

"I know. I just don't want to live the rest of my life in fear. Blade doesn't scare me. I want to have a somewhat normal life again, and I can't do that if I'm cooped up in here," Tanya explained.

"Just be careful, okay? I am still surprised that Marcus agreed to this," Raoul commented. Tanya chuckled and pulled away.

"Yeah, me too, but there are conditions. Chase is going to supervise the move, and I have to check in everyday."

"That's reasonable. I also wanted to talk to you about something else," Raoul said seriously.

Tanya cringed knowing what he was going to bring up.

"Who's this new guy you've been seeing?" Raoul asked.

"He's just some guy that I met recently. It's just casual sex, nothing serious." Tanya anxiously bit her lip. She really didn't like lying to him.

Raoul's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're lying. Don't feed me bullshit. I thought we were closer than that."

"It's none of your business. We are not in a relationship, so you do not have a right to know anything. We were just friends with benefits. I don't love you like that and you know it," Tanya declared.

"Oh my god, you're in love with him!" he accused. Tanya didn't even bother to deny it.

"How could you? You knew how I felt about you! I love you, Tanya. Why him and not me?" he demanded.

"Because I love him and not you. I only love you as a friend. I told you from the beginning that I wouldn't be able to give you my heart, and you still wanted to sleep with me. You knew the deal. It's not my fault that you gave yourself false hope," Tanya replied coldly.

"I was desperate. I wanted to be closer to you, but you still held me at arm's length. What can I do to make you love me?" Raoul cried. "I love you!" He took her hands into his.

Tanya blinked back tears and sniffled. "I'm sorry if you thought that I led you on, but I'm not in love with you and never will be. I'm sorry." She pulled her hands away and stood.

"I should finish packing," she said. Raoul stood up and walked to the door.

He paused and looked back at her. "I'm sorry that you don't love me. But have a nice life."

Tanya smiled weakly. "Thanks." Raoul nodded and left.

Once he was gone, Tanya walked over to her window and stared at the star-filled sky. _Why is my life so filled with drama?_

"Well, that should be the rest of it," Chase commented as one of the movers brought in the last piece of furniture.

"Yep, I think that's all of it," Tanya said, surveying her new apartment. It was a penthouse apartment that had been lavishly decorated by Marcus's personal interior designer.

"Wow, you're actually going to be on your own now. No more over bearing Marcus watching your every move," Chase said. "I'm going to miss all the excitement and chaos that you caused at the hotel."

"Aw, if you're going to miss me that much, I can always visit and cause chaos," Tanya said with a laugh. She pulled Chase in for a hug.

"Thanks, Tanya. That really means a lot to me. Just think of all the potential damage that we can do," Chase wondered out loud.

Tanya laughed and hugged Chase tighter. "I'll miss you, but we'll still hang out every week, right?"

"Right you are, love. I'm really going to miss having you around all the time, but I'll get used to it." Chase pulled away and looked through the window.

"It's almost dawn, I should get going."

"Already, can't you spend the day?" Tanya asked hopefully. Chase shook her head.

"Sorry, love. I have to work tonight, and I need to be well rested. I'll see you soon though." She gave Tanya a kiss on the cheek. "Be careful. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You're my best friend and my confidante."

Tanya gave Chase one last hug and then escorted her outside. They said their goodbyes once more and then went their separate ways.

"How come we never do this at my place?" Tanya asked breathlessly. Blade was stretched out next to her on his mats.

"Because I really don't think Marcus would like to see a video of me screwing you on your bed," he replied.

"He doesn't have my place under surveillance," Tanya scoffed. Blade looked at her skeptically.

"Okay, he doesn't have it under surveillance _anymore_," she confessed. "I found all the bugs and hidden cameras and mailed them back to him."

"I'm not willing to risk the chance that he had them replaced," Blade said.

"I do a search everyday. We'd be fine."

"No thanks," Blade said with conviction. There was no way he was going to risk his safety for sex.

Tanya frowned and moved to straddle him. "But I really wanted to break in my bed. I guess I'll have to find somebody else for the job," she said moving off him. Blade held her down against his waist.

"Nobody touches you but me," he growled. Tanya smiled and leaned down to kiss him.

"Don't worry, Blade. You're the only one that I want to touch me. I don't want anybody but you." She nuzzled his neck.

Blade stiffened slightly and not in the good way. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"I don't want to be with anybody else. Ever. Why are you giving me that look?" Tanya asked, rolling off Blade.

"What look?" he asked.

"Like you're terrified at the thought of a future with me," Tanya said. Blade could see the hurt forming on her face.

"Tanya, I don't think about the future and I certainly don't plan for it," Blade explained and from the look on Tanya's face that was not the thing that she wanted to hear.

She stood up and started putting her clothes on. "Good bye, Blade."

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked and started to put his clothes on too.

"Home. I don't want to be here any longer," she said, heading for the door. Blade blocked her path.

"Why are you leaving?" he demanded.

Tanya scoffed. "Are you kidding me? Why do you think?" she retorted and tried to get pass him but he wouldn't let her.

"Because of what I said? That's ridiculous. You know what my life is like. You've known from the beginning!"

"I know, but I don't think it's worth it to betray my father if you don't even see a future for us," Tanya said defiantly.

"I don't think about the future," Blade reiterated.

"You do when it comes to vampires. You care more about killing vampires then you do anything else! No wonder everybody around you dies! You don't care about the danger you bring to others; isn't that how Whistler died?" Tanya mocked.

Blade grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the wall. She grunted in pain and tried to fight him off. His response was to tighten his grip around her neck.

She could see nothing but blind fury in his eyes. "Don't you even speak his name! You tried to kill him. You don't deserve to mention his name."

"He killed my family. I get to say his name as much as I want. I get to be ecstatic that he's dead. He ruined my life," she managed to whisper.

Blade leaned in close. "Get over it," he said coldly and let her go. She coughed as she tried to get air into her lungs.

Tears flooded her eyes as her mind processed what just happened. He didn't love her and still believed she was in the wrong.

As Blade's temper died down, he realized what he had just done. "Tanya, I'm-"

"Save it!" she cried. "I don't want to ever see or hear from you again. If I do I will kill you on sight. I can't believe I was foolish enough to believe that you cared about me. You're still the same bastard that you were years ago. Humans are good, vampires are bad. Not everything is black and white. You'll find that out the hard way."

"Tanya." He took a step towards her and she fled. He followed her through the workshop and out into the streets. He lost her after she rounded a corner.

He slammed his fist into a nearby building. "Damn it!" She was gone and he doubted that he would ever see her again.

Raoul knocked on the door and was worried when a distraught Tanya opened the door.

"What's wrong-mmph" he began but was cut off by Tanya's lips. She kissed him fiercely.

He broke away from her and held her back. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Forgetting. Help me forget. Please," she begged.

Raoul noticed her red eyes. "Have you been crying? What did that bastard do to you?"

"Nothing. Kiss me!" she said slamming her lips against his. He tried to resist, but being a guy, it didn't take much for him to give in.

They made it to the kitchen table and he laid her down and started undressing. He took too long so she knocked his hands away and tore his shirt and forced his pants down.

He kissed her hard and went to work on her clothes. He thought she was trembling from excitement until he looked up and saw that she was crying.

He backed away. "Maybe we shouldn't."

"No, please! I need this!" she wailed. Raoul started to fix his clothes.

"I'm not going to be your rebound fuck. Come to me when you're sane," he said and left.

Tanya stayed on the kitchen table and cried. Her heart hurt so much and there was no one to help take the pain away. She was tired of hurting. She was tired of living an unwanted existence.

Her eyes fell on the gun on the coffee table. She could end this all now if she chose to.

* * *

A/N: I'm not sure when I'm going to update again, so don't get your hopes up. I hope you liked the chapter! Review!


	8. Sadness followed by Peace

A/N: Yay, I'm almost done with this story! Hopefully, I'll be able to get to my other ones and finish those. But for now, here is the next chapter.

* * *

Tanya sat on her couch playing with her gun. It was fully loaded and had a round in the chamber, but she wasn't concerned with the gun accidently going off. Maybe that was her problem, she didn't have a healthy sense of fear.

Considering her past, it was an accurate assumption. She had tangled with danger on too many occasions, but she still couldn't stay away.

As she twirled her gun around in her hands, she wondered what would happen if she just put the gun up to her head and pulled the trigger. Suicide seemed like a cowardly way out of her pain, but that didn't stop her from considering it. She had before.

"What's going on?" Chase said walking up to the couch and pausing once she saw the gun. "Raoul told me that you were crying. What happened?"

Tanya sighed and put the gun down. "Nothing. I was just overreacting."

"That's bullshit and you know it. Is this about Blade?" Chase replied. She had known that the relationship was dangerous and potentially explosive, but she hadn't anticipated on Tanya actually being depressed over that Daywalker.

Tanya blinked back tears. "So you knew all along, huh? I guess I wasn't as sneaky as I thought."

"Honey, don't tell me that you're actually crying over that Daywalking son of a bitch," Chase said and sat down next to Tanya. "From what I've heard from his former enemies, the ones that are still alive, is that he's very set in his ways and very little can be done to change his mind."

Tanya sniffled and wiped away a few stray tears. "Don't. Just don't. I know that you're trying to make me feel better, but I really don't want to hear it. I'm done with it all."

Chase had only seen Tanya looking defeated one another time, and that had led to several suicide attempts and Chase didn't want a repeat of those.

Even though she was a vampire, Chase wasn't immune to pain or feelings. Especially when it came to Tanya. Tanya was her weakness. And sitting next to Tanya and knowing that her friend was going through so much pain, made Chase's barely beating heart hurt.

Chase took Tanya's head in her hands and looked into her eyes. "Tanya, I'm begging you. Please don't do anything stupid."

Tanya smiled weakly. "Define stupid."

"Anything that you wouldn't want somebody to do to you. I don't want to lose you. You're the only true friend I've ever had. Without you, I'll go back to being that heartless bitch that took pleasure in killing people's loved ones in front of them. Please don't make me go back to that. I don't want to be at Chthon without you," Chase pleaded.

Tanya's eyes softened. "Chase…" It was rare to see the blonde portray any type of human emotion. Seeing Chase in this light made her want to fight through the pain.

Tanya leaned into Chase and the blonde wrapped her arms around her friend. Tanya snuggled into Chase feeling her cool skin against her face. She nuzzled Chase's neck before sitting up and looking into her friend's eyes.

Tanya smiled. "I love you too, Chase. I wouldn't want to live without you either." Her hand went up to her friend's cheek and cupped it.

Chase was frozen in her place. She studied her friend's face before closing her eyes. Soft lips touched hers and she felt herself responding to the kiss. She was careful not to be aggressive or too passionate. She just let Tanya lead and own the kiss. This was Tanya's moment, not hers.

Tanya pressed her lips harder against Chase's, hoping for a more passionate response but the blonde refused to go any further. So she gently ran her tongue across Chase's lower lip and the woman finally responded.

Chase moaned as she felt Tanya's tongue against her lips and opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Tanya's tongue eagerly sought out hers, and Chase let her tongue be caressed by Tanya's and tightened her hold on her.

Tanya ended the kiss and trailed her lips down to Chase's collarbone and then rested her head there. She listened to Chase's faint heartbeat as she struggled to keep her emotions together. A few tears leaked out of her eyes. She was going to miss Chase.

Chase sighed in defeat. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Tanya nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I understand," Chase replied, trying to keep her own emotions at bay. She had never felt this way about anybody, not even when she was human. "But that won't stop me from missing you or loving you."

"I know."

Chase looked down at the young woman resting against her. "Is there any chance that you're going to change your mind?"

Tanya didn't even bother to respond. Both women knew the answer to that question.

"Okay," Chase said. "Let me stay a little longer and I'll help you pack."

Tanya couldn't hold it back anymore and allowed herself to cry. Chase just held her and stroked her hair reassuringly telling her that everything would be okay, even though they both knew that it wasn't true.

Blade was cleaning his guns when Tanya came down the stairs into the hideout.

"What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly.

It took a lot of effort for Tanya not to cry again.

"I'm leaving. For good this time. I just wanted to say goodbye before I left," she explained.

"So you're leaving? That's it? One fight and you're done? It's pathetic," he spat at her.

Tanya pushed down the hurt and used the anger. "You told me to get over my family's death at the hands of your so called mentor! Yes, I get to be angry and upset. I thought you actually cared about me, but that went out the window once you said that. I have tried to be accommodating, but I'm done. I'm better than this."

"So you say," he responded.

Tanya shook her head in disbelief. "What happened to you? You used to give a damn about my feelings. Or did Whistler beat it out of you? He screwed you up big time. I guess he didn't realize that he created a monster once your ass was plastered all over the news for killing a human in public. No wonder he killed himself, maybe he was hoping to take you down with him when he blew up your hideout."

Blade picked up his gun and pointed it at her. "Leave now," he ordered, his voice laced with anger.

Tanya disregarded his warning and stepped closer to him. "Why? You'll shoot me if I don't? Been there done that. Guns don't scare me, and neither does death. So go ahead and shoot me if it'll make you feel better."

His trigger finger didn't move, so she stepped closer. She walked until her head was resting against the barrel of the gun.

"Do it," she commanded. "Put both of us out of our misery. You can get revenge for Whistler, and I can be free of this pain. Do it!"

Blade saw the pain in her eyes and finally understood how much her family's death affected her. She reminded him of himself when he was younger. Angry at the person that killed his mother and made him the way that he was. He finally understood.

He put the gun down. "I'm sorry," was all he said.

Tanya relaxed. "Thank you," she whispered. "For what it's worth, I really did love you."

"I know. You're seriously leaving?" he asked.

"Yes. We're toxic to each other. It never would have worked out. You were right, we don't have a future together and we never will. We're too damaged and unforgiving to make this work," Tanya explained.

"So I'll never see you again?" Blade asked, hopeful that the answer was no, but he knew.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but it has to be this way," Tanya said and turned around and ran out of the hideout to prevent herself from crying in front of him.

"What happens now?" Blade asked himself.

Tanya stood at the top of the cliff, looking down at the lake below. She felt oddly peaceful.

She had bought herself some time by having Chase drive her to the airport and making her believe that she had boarded the plane.

She felt no fear or anxiety about what was to come next.

"Blade, Chase…I'm sorry," she said as she raised the silver stake to her chest. She plunged it deep into her heart.

The world started to fade away and her legs gave out. She plummeted a few feet down and into the lake. She felt calm and tired.

As her mind shut down her last thought was, _Mom, Dad, Brother, I'm coming home._

* * *

A/N: This is the last official chapter. The next one is going to be the epilogue, and this is the last in the series. Unless I decide to a small story about the months Tanya trained with Blade, but that's unlikely. I want to get my other stories finished before I start working on something new. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to review!


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